Art Basel Unlimited 2025 | 'the Mechanical Ballet' By Heinz Mack

German artist Heinz Mack will present The Mechanical Ballet, an installation comprising seven motorized stainless-steel stelae of varying heights that rotate within a mirrored room, in Art Basel’s 2025 Unlimited sector. The presentation is held in collaboration with his global representative, Almine Rech, at Booth U28, from June 19 – 22, 2025.

The polished stainless steel steles, each standing between 120 cm and 250 cm tall, move axially through motorized bases. These steles act as mechanical dancers, placed in a mirrored space that multiplies the visual effects of this kinetic ballet. As the steles rotate on their own axes, they absorb light, reflect it, and set it in motion—making it dance through the space. The mirrored surroundings become the stage for this choreography, amplifying both the light and the movements of the rotating steles.

Das Mechanische Ballett was last exhibited in 2023 at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany. Here, an open space with a mirrored rear wall was chosen. Conceived in 1966, the installation was first realized for an exhibition at Kunsthal Rotterdam in 2018. Additionally, a light and sound choreography accompanied the installation, featuring the composition Atmosphères by György Ligeti.